Q: Will my body ever be the same again?

A: Nine months. Nine beautiful months. Nine months in which your body has been kicked, torn, stretched, jiggled, and run through the gantlet of all gantlets. Mighty nice work, you think. Now give me my body back!! As much as you enjoyed the pregnancy journey, you're ready to fit back into your old clothes and eliminate the aches that arose during delivery. Some guidelines for making the transition:

Weight: You see A-list moms who can fit into their skinny jeans mere hours after pregnancy, but those cases are extremely rare. The smarter approach is a more patient one. Remember that it took you nine months to add the weight, and a realistic goal is for you to take nine months to drop it. Breastfeeding will speed it up, until the very end -- most women hang on to the last few pounds until they wean their babies. The key here, of course, is to make sure that you have sound nutrition. You can also follow our workout routine. Any good weight loss program is not only about the tools but also about your expectations and attitude. Be realistic and make smart choices and you will once again see the inside of your skinny jeans. One other note: No jogging while carrying an infant; you want to avoid any shaking of his delicate brain.

Abs: No doubt, your belly has been through quite the delivery workout. The only problem is that this workout did more damage than good to your abdominal muscles. The prospect of trying to eliminate your postpregnancy belly and recover a flat stomach can be daunting. You can help tighten your abdominal wall by doing some of the exercises we outline in our exercise plan. Another good one is the modified cat pose from yoga, done while you're standing in the shower. It helps reawaken the abs without putting a whole lot of pressure on the muscles. But remember, the secret to a flat stomach centers around not only core strength but also eating right and avoiding the simple carbohydrates that set up shop on your hips or waist unless you are running marathons to burn the sugar.